Novel related:
Well, I was disappointed to learn that my novel did not make it into the quarterfinals of the Amazon Breakthrough novel Award. Still, I’m very proud it made it into the octofinals. I plan to start up a spring/summer promotion campaign soon. Will let you know the details.

Lunch at an organic gourmet cafe on Seneca Lake. Wine from winery down the road.

FLX-related

Did you know there are two new trails in the Finger Lakes Wine Region? They don’t involve wineries, that is, directly.
One is the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail that consists of eight cheese producers. The selection is wonderful, from traditional cheddars to goat cheese to herb-infused. The other is the Seneca Lake Cuisine Trail where organic meals inspired by the local wines are often on the menu.
These trails, in fact, are actually not that far off from the story line in my novel. I’ve sampled from both, and must give thumbs up for regional, organic foods.

My novel takes place in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country in upstate New York. Today, Finger Lakes Wine Country released a FREE iPhone app that can be your official guide to this beautiful region. The app includes suggestions on how to explore the Finger Lakes with links to Wineries, Accommodations, Dining and Things to Do. It includes maps of the wineries, reviews and related Twitter updates.
The app is available NOW at Apple’s app store. Applications tailored to BlackBerry and other mobile devices will be released soon, according to the press release.
If you’ve enjoyed my novel, there’s no better way to celebrate completing it than spending a lazy day exploring the Finger Lakes and trying to find locations in the story.
Be sure to quench your thirst with a glass of fine FLX wine. By the way, May is Riesling Month. Search the app for more info…
Hmm, perhaps you can even find Loughmare Winery on this app… ;^)

In today’s Finger Lakes Times, reporter Amanda Folts writes that an astounding 33 wineries have opened in New York in the last seven months alone!
Her article provides some interesting statistics:

Winery Creation in New York State

• 4 opened before 1900

• 7 between 1900 and 1960

• 13 in the 1970s

• 40 in the 1980s

• 49 in the 1990s

• 160 so far this decade, with 33 in the last 7 months

As Folts quotes one winemaker in her article, “‘[The] increase in wineries is going to give this area a critical mass that it really needs,’ said Gene Pierce, owner of Glenora Wine Cellars in Dundee and Knapp Winery in Romulus.”

You can now pre-order autographed copies of A Sudden Gift of Fate before the book launch at RiverRead Books on Nov. 1. Call them at 607 217-7292 to place your order and tell them if there is a special inscription you would like. The books can be picked up during the launch, from 2-5 p.m., or after.

Keep watching the events page for the latest information. The book has already made its way across the country to Montana, California, North Carolina as well as here in New York. Hope the story continues to have “legs,” just like a glass of fine wine.

Thanks to the FLX wine Twitter community, you can watch videos of this year’s grape harvest and crushing, have questions answered by winemakers and learn about special events celebrating the start of the ’09 vintage.

Here’s a cool video from Red Newt Cellars on the East Side of Seneca Lake (called the Banana Belt for its warmer microclimate). They’re crushing green cabernet franc grapes for verjus, an acidic juice used in salad dressings.
These green grapes were culled to let the vines focus on ripening the rest of them for wine production. Normally these would be trimmed off and left to rot. This same crushing method will be used for the wine grapes.
To follow FLX harvest updates on Twitter, follow @flxcrush. Winemakers will be answering your Q&As on Twitter weekly too. Here’s the current schedule:

$20
Available NOW at my e-store (Amazon.com),Amazon.com;Barnes & Noble;Powell's Books
What readers are saying:
"This endearing foursome, that so many readers of the first book fell in love with, face new challenges with Irish wit and a generally upbeat outlook on life. They're a group of friends that anyone would want to hang out with."
"After finishing it, I kept thinking of the characters and wondered how they were doing. I had to remind myself they weren't real and had to let them go..."
"I couldn't put it down."
"Pure dead brilliant!"

The Prequel

The story

Irish couple Fergal and Brídgeen Griffin get an intriguing wedding gift: the chance to manage a Finger Lakes winery. When they move to Keuka Lake from Queens, see the rundown winery and meet its surly winemaker, they realize it will be quite a challenge getting from grapevine to bottle.
Meanwhile their friends Maeve and Andy face a challenge of their own, separation as he pursues experimental therapy for his paraplegia.
As the two couples face the challenges ahead, will they be able to keep hope alive?